Jon Gruden Just Gave Cam Newton a Hilarious New Nickname
It has been nothing short of a resurgent start to the 2020 season for Cam Newton in his first campaign with the New England Patriots. That has created a significant amount of renewed buzz around his performance. All that has guided Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden to create a hilarious new nickname for Newton.
Cam Newton’s strong start with the Patriots
There was much uncertainly around Cam Newton ahead of his first campaign with the Patriots.
Those doubts have quickly erased by the high level of play from Newton in his first two games with New England. He has looked every bit the part of an elite quarterback in the first two weeks as he’s been a tremendous factor under center. He has completed 71.4% of his passes with five total touchdowns (four rushing) with 674 total yards while committing only one turnover.
Although the Patriots fell to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2 on the game’s last play in regulation, Newton put forth an impressive outing with 397 passing yards. It marked his highest passing yard total since the 2011 season, which speaks volumes to his fit with the franchise.
All that has created a renewed buzz around Newton, leading to Jon Gruden to create a new nickname for him.
Jon Gruden’s new nickname for Cam Newton
Throughout much of his career, Cam Newton has embraced the “Superman” nickname.
It’s something that stuck with him during his time with the Carolina Panthers as he even had the Superman celebration after he scored rushing touchdowns. However, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has come up with a quirky new nickname for the 31-year-old, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.
“I haven’t seen many guys walk through my doors that look like Cam. I call him ‘Slam.’ Slam Newton. That was the nickname I gave him. He is a power forward playing quarterback,” Gruden told Patriots reporters on a conference call.
Gruden’s choice centers on Newton being a significant physical factor with his size at the quarterback position. He has been a major factor in the running game throughout his career, which is especially the case near the goal line. That has already seen him score four rushing touchdowns in his first two games with the Patriots.
It only further underlines the difficult task Las Vegas will have with defending against Newton’s dual-threat ability. It’s hard to envision Gruden’s new nickname for him sticking, but it just shows that the three-time Pro Bowler is back to playing at an elite level.
Raiders’ tough task in Week 3 against the Patriots
Following the Raiders’ impressive 2-0 start to the 2020 season, it has made the Week 3 matchup against the Patriots a must-watch game.
Las Vegas looks to have something promising brewing with their offense. Second-year running back Josh Jacobs continues to guide them forward in the running game, but it has been the balance that Derek Carr has brought passing ball centered around utilizing tight end Darren Waller.
Carr hasn’t truly thrown the ball down the field, but he has operated quite efficiently in the Raiders’ offensive game plan. It saw him throw three touchdown passes against the New Orleans Saints in Monday’s win. The game’s true test will come with how Las Vegas defends Cam Newton and the Patriots offense.
That will dictate how the contest unfolds as Newton has shown he is a huge factor with both his arm and legs. The Raiders will have to contain him as much as possible to give their team a chance to pull out a pivotal early-season win.
